“You are useful when you give inspiration to people.”
-Paulo Coelho
I have been struggling with my writing as of late. Some call it writer’s block. Some call it creative drought. Whatever it is, yes, I have it. For several days now.
I browsed some articles to research on how to get rid of this halt. These were the tips I got.
- Change your environment. (But it’s so dreary outside!)
- Read a book. (This bed weather is making me sleepy.)
- Exercise. (Uhmm..)
And then, I stumbled upon this – Part 3 of 4 of Paulo’s podcast on writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWRmbSgS2Yw
“What is inspiration? Inspiration is breathing. You put what is outside inside of you. And then, you expire. So, inspiration is something that everybody has, not only writers… Everybody has, when you do things with love. It is connected with this energy that we don’t understand. We can explain, explain, explain, but it is connected with the energy of love. If you enjoy what you are doing, you’re going to be inspired to share it with other people. However, inspiration, you cannot guide inspiration. Inspiration is a boat and you are in this boat, in a sea. So there is this gigantic sea. And your boat is taking you. Inspiration is guiding you. Inspiration is this wind that is guiding you towards your destiny. If you try to guide inspiration, you are lost.” -Paulo Coelho
This is actually the first time that I have played a videocast from Paulo’s blog and my admiration for this man has been cemented in my life more than ever before. I seriously had goosebumps listening to him.
If you are a close friend, you would know that I adore Coelho. I have all his books, I have read and re-read them more than you can ever imagine. I couldn’t pick a favorite Coelho book because I love them all. And yes, one more thing, I trash all my Coelho books. I am really sorry but I do. I only do this to his books. You know what those are?
Yes! Dog-ears! My bad. But what can I do? Too many lines that I love. How can one write so profoundly? Almost every other page? That’s crazy!
I wish that someday my own creative wind will guide me to write something that could give inspiration to other people. In the meantime, please do enjoy listening to my hero as he has inspired me enormously today.
Check out the first installments of Paulo’s videocast on writing below:
Part I on Writing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKBOKLF3Ul8
Part II on Writing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_TJ4MIGeg8
Part IV on Writing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbgjnshl77g
xx,
Balot
